Boiler water level testing means



P. A. JERGUSON 2,205,143

BOILER WATER LEVEL TESTING MEANS Filed Nov. 50, 1938 Iii/27621750 2:PFZZ'ZI/EUEZJPZ' luson.

Patented June 18, 1940 UNITE STATES PATENT @FlQE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to boilers or like pressure containers and theobject is to provide an improved construction whereby the installationand repair of the cocks by means of which the 5 Water level is observedis facilitated.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is an elevation of a boiler showing gage 10 cocks and operatingmeans therefor; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through one of the cooks.

As is well known, in steam power plants each boiler or steam drum isfitted with several gage 15 cocks each attached independently anddirectly. They are spaced equally in a vertical direction, and byopening each cock in succession an experienced man can tell by notingthe appearance and sound of the blast from each cock approximately wherethe water level is. Thus the indication of the glass gages may bechecked or the water level determined if there is no gage or the gage isout of service. In the ordinary installation, since these cocks arelocated adjacent the 25 normal water level of the boiler, they are farabove the level of the fire-room floor and thus must be fitted withsuitable mechanism for permitting their operation from the distance.

Thus, referring to Fig. 1, I have there shown 30 in a general way aboiler having a steam drum 4 fitted with three gage cocks 6 equallyspaced in a vertical direction and discharging to a spatter pan 5 whichdrains to pipe 1 leading to the bilge or other suitable place. To thestems of 35 these cocks, which are of the screw-down type as more fullyhereinafter to be described, are se-, cured operating levers 8 fromwhich depend rods it extending to a suitable station adjacent thefire-room floor where they are provided with handles l2. Obviously notonly for appearance but for convenience the several levers 8 should beparallel, as should the depending rods, and to permit an accuratecomparison of the indications of the escaping steam and water the extentof opening of the several valves should be uniform, both amongthemselves and in successive observations. Thus, for example, the armsbeing in the position indicated in Fig. 1, the desired open positionmight correspond to a 45 movement.

Under service conditions, due to corrosion and 50 other causes, valvesrequire repair, either by regrinding the seats or refacing the valvehead proper, or by both operations. Obviously in the case of ascrew-down valve the removal of ma-v terial from the seat or the valvechanges, in the room floor. Hence when one or more valves have thus beenrepaired, it has been necessary to relocate the lever and in practicethis operation has been inconvenient and time-consuming in itself andsubject to errors in its execution. 5

In accordance with my invention I equip the boiler with valves such asare illustrated in detail in Fig. 2 comprising each a valve body l4having the discharge opening I6 and provided with a seat l8 with whichcooperates the valve proper or 10 head 29 carried by the threaded stem22. The thread on this stem works in an internally threaded block 24having a flange 26 overlying the outer end of the valve body it andadapted to be clamped thereto by means of a flanged nut 28 screwing ontothe exterior of the body. The outer end of the stem 22 is provided witha hexagonal or other non-circularly formed portion 30 to which is fittedthe lever 8 secured by the nut 32.

When the cock is first installed on the boiler, the stem is screwed downtight and the nut 28 is then slacked ofi slightly and the lever 8adjusted to the correct angle, the block 24 rotating with it in thismovement without longitudinal movement of the valve stem relative to thebody 25 of the valve. The parts are held in this correct position bysetting up the nut 28. Whenever repairs to the valve are made and aconsequent change in the angular setting of the lever 8, a quick andcorrect adjustment is made in the same manner, the operation requiringonly a few minutes as compared with a tedious reconstruction by means oftools, often requiring hours, in the case of installations as hithertoknown. It is thus easy to place the gaging mechanism in the mostconvenient operating condition and to maintain it in such condition.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appendedclaim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

A steam generator having a series of vertically spaced cocks in the wallthereofyeach comprising a casing having a valve seat and a horizontalthreaded valve stem, an operating lever arm mounted on the stem in fixedangular relation thereto and actuating mechanism pivoted to theextremity of the lever arm and depending therefrom to provide foroperating the arm from a remote location to open and close the valve, ablock having a female thread in which said stem works, and means forclamping the block to the casing of the cock permitting free angularorientation thereof.

PHILIP A. JERGUSON. 6o

